112 
TUNG-CHOW. 
When we were somewhat recovered from our fatigues, and looked 
back on the occurrences of the last two days, we seemed rather to 
have awakened from a dream, than to have experienced any circum- 
stances of real existence. It was impossible to link them together 
in any probable chain of cause and effect. We could only conjecture 
that we had been hurried to and from Yuen-Ming-Yuen, and sub- 
jected to all kinds of indignity and inconvenience, to suit the will of 
a capricious despot. It would have been in vain to calculate on the 
next events. The same will might load us with fresh insults, or again 
call us to the imperial presence. 
Before night, our suspense was in some degree relieved by reports, 
from authentic sources, that the Emperor had been deceived by his 
ministers respecting the real cause of the Ambassador’s refusal to 
visit him, and lamented his hasty dismissal. Early the next morning 
these rumours were confirmed by the arrival of Soo and Quang, 
with presents from the Emperor to the Prince Regent, consisting 
of a sceptre cut from a siliceous stone, of a greenish white colour, 
and called by the Chinese Yu; a necklace of agate, and other 
beads; and several embossed silk purses. In return for these, they 
selected from the British presents portraits of the King and Queen, 
a painting of Doncaster horse-races, several engravings, and some 
maps of China ; manifesting, as an Imperial Edict afterwards ex- 
pressed it, “ the idea of giving much and receiving little ! !” 
It was about this time verbally communicated to Mr. Morrison, 
that the Emperor had been kept in ignorance of the circumstance 
of our having travelled all night, or being without the costume neces- 
sary to appear in before him ; and that the only plea that had been 
alleged for the Commissioners’ refusal to enter the presence, was 
the Ambassador’s illness ; which there was reason to suppose the 
Chinese physician had declared to be feigned. It was also stated, 
that all the Chinese officers who had been connected with the Em- 
bassy, were degraded. It was, in fact, afterwards ascertained, that 
Soo had been condemned to lose his situation of President to the 
Board of Works, together with his peacock’s feather, and to be 
